Adversity is the greatest revealer of character. As author Robert McKee once said,
“True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure – the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation….”
Our nation’s Constitution was wisely architected to ensure a God-centered compass for navigation during adverse times full of angst, anger, and animosity.
The adversity and chaos that surrounds us in America and the world today has indeed helped reveal the deep-seated problem of Republicans-in-Name-Only (RINOs) infiltrating the Republican Party. Before all the uncertainty and volatile times erupted, these imposters were able to mask themselves as committed conservatives. But now their agenda of misrepresentations and manipulations has been exposed, as well as a hard fact: they do not hold conservative virtues.
It is becoming apparent that there is no longer a constitutional benchmark for the party and no compelling future-ready vision embedded with committed conservative values for the NHGOP or our state. Just look at the average age of our State Senators: 62 years old. Do you honestly believe retirement age ideas, paradigms and platforms can provide the support you and your family need in today’s flux economy and digital world? Broken and outdated systems look backward. Healthy and innovative systems invest forward.
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By perpetuating an environment which suppresses new voices, ideas, and platforms, the RINOs have fractured the NHGOP into a party weakened by structural dysfunction. There are no curbs to blatant RINO self-enrichment. RINOs serve themselves, not their constituents, our state, or the Constitution. As the saying goes:
“when the trough gets lean, the pigs get mean.”
The RINO contortion has become so deeply ingrained inside the NHGOP that most state party member “Republicans” are either RINOs, fundamentalists, populists or extremists. Each of these factions represent a political position that is strongly opposite to the beliefs, values, and views of committed conservatives.
Behind the scenes up until COVID, the RINOs pandered for power and profit easily because people were lulled during those past stable times. Comfort zones invariably lead to a degree of complacency. The pandemic stirred up ripples of inconvenient truths. Consciences surfaced, and questions emerged. The true character of 51 elected officials in Concord has been exposed: New Hampshire has a very big RINO problem in Concord and in the NHGOP. The result is a fundamental schism inside the state NHGOP and the national Republican Party itself.
It’s no wonder why current NHGOP “leadership” is unable and unwilling to renew and regrow itself in a direction relevant for the uncomfortable times and adverse challenges of the 21st Century. Our future position moves from granite to quicksand when our conservative purpose is eroded. RINO group-think is a slippery slope for Granite Staters. Committed conservative values must serve as solid ground for us to embrace the natural need for new leadership, new ideas, new strategies and a new direction. When we are firm in what we believe – underpinned by our constitutional commitment, our choices are better directed.
But with RINOs in charge, decisions are tainted by disillusion, dysfunction, and dictatorial edicts in Concord. Future strategies focus on entrenching positions of power, not serving the needs of the people. Real conservative voices become a weak echo in the cavernous RINO domain. And the NHGOP continues to fracture further into irrelevance.
Who suffers the brunt of this downfall of direction? The burden shifts onto the backs of hardworking Granite Staters: socially, economically, and civically. Essentially, meaning New Hampshire will increasingly loosen its constitutional roots and morph into a pseudo-Massachusetts liberal oasis. Without a clear vision, mission and direction for our State, our citizens will continue to endure high energy prices, high property taxes, low wages, and little ability to protect the state from more Massachusetts mindsets.
Innovation, renewal, and regrowth: that is the way forward. Let’s not lose our committed conservative values. Let’s use them to build on again. Nurturing an innovation-centric government is the missing link between the Tea Party movement of the 2010s and traditional committed conservatism, as well as the key to a better future for all Granite Staters. If Concord and DC were doing their jobs right, then we would have small government everywhere.
A strong future for generations to come is what we all need and deserve. Do not allow RINOs to continue stealing that future from you, your family, and our great State. With the Fall 2022 election approaching, now is the time to make your voice loud, and make your vote count.
Gary Whitehill
Colebrook, NH
BIOGRAPHY: Gary is a 9th Generation Yankee Constitutional Republican running for State Representative in Coos County District 3.
